Becoming - 55 gallon tank upgrade

This is a discussion on Becoming - 55 gallon tank upgrade within the Freshwater Journals forums, part of the Aquarium Photography category; -->
I really can not imagine being so far away from civilization. . . but I think I'd really enjoy it - even if it's ...

I really can not imagine being so far away from civilization. . . but I think I'd really enjoy it - even if it's a bit inconvenient... the thought of a mall's roof collapsing - that's terrifing. Good think more people weren't hurt. Like Izzy said - silver lining.

I'm not entirely positive if it's normal coloration or not. It doesn't *seem* to be, but if you look at that species on Google images, you'll see a few with very bright underbellies. Of the four, she's the only one who is SO bright, and with that odd lumpyness going on. The rest of them look perfect, and all are behaving and eating as expected. Active little buggers. . . we shall see!

Izzy. . . A waterproof and shock proof Nikon sounds wonderful, and I think you can do better than a B- (incidentally, B- does not = sucking at that class). Anyway, SOMEONE has to do the tests on loachy DNA. You're, like, the PERFECT candidate! PLEASE!!!! *makes puppy dog face*

Haha! That class was years ago now. (Man, I feel old saying that). And if life does take me in that direction I wouldn't mind doing some type of study on Pangio loaches. More than likely I'd be the one taking the samples instead of processing them! I like the field better than I like the lab! Working on loachy conservation sounds like a blast!

Sooooooo. . . I'm still trying to figure out what I think about this, maybe you guys can help?

I called the *evil* fish shop where I got my little loachlings. I really didn't want to, but I couldn't NOT say something about how those loaches were caught - and I also figured that I should let them know that they weren't selling Kuhli Loaches (though I doubt they care about properly identifying the species, anyway)

I spoke to the owner, who is the husband of the lady who caught my fish, and he did a really good job of saying how sorry he was for my bad experience, etc. etc. He said that he would speak to the missus about the proper way to capture these fish, and that he'd see if there was any way that he could move them to a bare-bottomed tank to make things easier at sale time (I doubt this is going to happen)

Anyway, he offered to let me come in again, and to give me five additional loaches - gently caught and free of charge to make up for my horrible experience, and so that I could see that he was true to his word and that the staff would be trained on how to be gentle toward the livestock. He also said that if I wanted to return the black kuhli, he'd be happy to replace him with the striped one that I was supposed to have gotten, anyway.

Now. . . as much as I don't want to go into that shop again, as long as I'm not BUYING anything, then I'm not giving them my business and supporting them, right? I WOULD like to see that woman treat her fish more gently. . . but I'm torn!

The additional 5 fish, plus replacing the black loach would bring my total population of the dwarf loaches to 10.

I already have a shoal of 5 of the larger Kuhli in the 55g tank - I've been wanting to increase their shoal to a total of 12 fish, but can't find them anywhere, and honestly, they've always been very active and social with just the 5 of them.

This would eventually bring the loach population in the 55g (assuming everyone makes it through QT without issues) to 15 loaches TOTAL, of two different species - 3 more fish than I originally intended, but 10 of them are dwarfs, and much smaller than the other 5. I don't really think that it would be TOO many for that tank stocking-wise. . .

The thing I'm really hung up on is if I'm willing to set foot in that shop again . . . and if I'm willing to return the oddball black loach, who I never wanted, and has no shoal of his own.

What do you guys think? I'm pretty sure I'm going to go for it. I don't have the willpower to resist free adorable tiny fish. . .

Take the 5 freebies, think of it as a rescue and your good deed for the day.
Keep the black one, he seems happy with his current situation and he's certainly better off with you than back at the store.
Heck, see if the 5 freebies could be buddies for the black one and everybody wins :)

Take the 5 freebies, think of it as a rescue and your good deed for the day.

I like the way you think, Ogre!

I'm still undecided about the black. I don't want to take him back, but I ALSO don't want a shoal of that type of loach. I LIKE the orange and yellow ones better, and those are the ones I want to stick with - even split between 2 types. From everything I've read, the two should shoal together fine, but. . . he IS a different species. He *might* actually have a better chance at finding his 'family' if I send him back. It'll either be him alone with me, or back to the shop. . . hrm. I might just keep the little guy. I really would feel terrible to return him, even if I never asked to bring him home. . .

Well, since you want a bigger group anyways, why not go for it? Aside from how they were caught, were they at least in good tanks? Obviously many have the wrong substrate, but they seemed in good condition, yes? If not...I dunno, I would go elsewhere. lol ^^; But it the loaches were in good condition aside from idiot handling, I would go for it.
They ARE smaller, and loaches have a pretty low bioload to boot. Well, Kuhli's do, I'm not sure about the kind you have, I've never had the striped ones or done much research on them. lol

As for my mystery baby I told you about, I think it's a blue platy. They do kinda have longer fins than most platies, or so I just noticed. ^_~ That's my best guess.

I also found a store that will buy my youngins, but not as young as I like to give them away at since I just don't have the room! But they told me they would, and I LOVE that store "Neptunes" because all their tanks are not extremely stocked like some shops keep them, the betta are IN tanks with fish compatible with them, and they all look well, I rarely see dead fish like you do at petco and other chain stores. Once I get a huge tank, I'll be raising my kids longer and trading them for money or store credits. =)
Speaking of, I gave away all but the tiny baby Mystery/blue platy babies and two dalmations too small to go. Geez I had a lot of kids. x.x Nice mix too. Marbles, dalmation lyretails, gold dusts, black and silvers...>_>; I waited two extra days than planned since EVERYONE has the flu but my grandpa. ^^; But hey, down to stocked and not so over. Ha.
I had to sit there for a while and stare at their fish and loaches, and some eel called a tire-track eel that came out of his cave to see me and mouth a bit, he was awesome...They have such nice fish, I was really interested in their painted swordtails too, they had a gorgeous male I would just LOVE for my female red neon swordtail...But alas, no room for even one more. xD

Also when I get that bigger tank, I'm paying attention real good here. lol I want some stripey loaches. =) I'll be doing a good bit of research on whatever I decide there though, I may just go for some different types of cories. lol

That is a pretty tough situation. I know you like him, but I'd still return the brown Pangio. While he'll shoal with the others I'm sure he would be happier with his own kind. Or maybe see if some of the free loaches you get can be brown Pangio. Either way, I would certainly take the 5 free loaches. At the very least it will bring up the shoal size of the dwarfest loaches (which if they are anything like other dwarf fish will appreciate more company).

Thanks for the input, guys. . . the more I think about it, the firmly I decide that the little oblonga really just has to go back. Yes, I do have enough room to get him a small shoal and still boost the numbers of the dwarfs a bit - but the fact is that I never WANTED the oblonga loaches in the first place. I could have gotten those at any time, it's the Kuhlis that have been so hard to get since my GOOD shop closed down, and I've been waiting to find a few more for my shoal for such a long time now!

Of course, I didn't get kuhli (OR semicincta), I got cuneovirgata - and though I'd read about them before, this is a speceis that isn't usually found around here - except the oddball mixed into a shipment of the larger loaches. . . but I'm totally in love with them, and wholly enamored with the idea of having a nice group of the tiny buggers in my tank!

As a single stand-alone kind of guy, I'm happy to keep the little Java, but I don't want a herd of 'em. So if he won't be happy shoaling with the Kuhli, I'm going to return him in the hopes that he can be a part of a group somewhere else. Still tough, cuz' I know. . . chances are high that he'll be CARED for better and possibly happier with me - even as a loner. . . can't save them all.

I wish I didn't get so emotionally attached to my darn FISH! AND? That I was ever ANY good at making up my mind!!!